Corn-harvester.



E. 8. BROWN.

CORN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, i914.

Patented May 18, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WOLMABI THE NORRIS PETERS Co, PHOTO-LITHO, WASHINGTONv D. C4

E. S. BROWN.

CORN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, I914.

LMQ QQQK Patented May 18, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

1r; NORm=i PETERS CO., FHDTO LITHOH WASHINGTON. B. C.

E. S. BROWN.

CORN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, m4.

1 14@,2%%o Patented May 18, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

7/ 75 66- o v o 76 M 7a 69 09 m an ,00 29 41 In V V w .p ...t m

THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D C.

@FFIQE.

ENOCI-I s. BROWN, or AFTON, IOWA, AssIGNoR or ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM M. SHIELDS, or AFTON, IOWA.

CORN-HARVESTER.

riaoeae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed May 29, 1914. Serial No. 841,856.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ENooH S. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Afton, in the county of Union and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Corn-I-Iarvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to corn harvesters of that class in which a bed supported on transporting wheels is equipped with a cutter for severing the stalks, with a cradle wherein the severed stalks may be supported for tying, and with means for tilting the said cradle to deposit the tied shock on the ground.

One object of the invention is to provide simple and improved means whereby the stalks when severed by the cutting apparatus will be thrown diagonally across the bed of the machine to a position from which they may be readily lifted by arm loads into the cradle.

A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction and arrangement of the cradle and the means for tilting the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and improved means for compressing the shock in the cradle while being tied.

l/Vith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the in vention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the corn guide in normal position previous to admission of the corn stalks, and showing also cut corn stalks in position on the bed. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of a portion of a machine showing the guide displaced by pressure of the corn stalks. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the corn stalks in position for cutting. Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of the movable corn guide. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 in Fig. 1, and showing the cradle in receiving position. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the same plane, but showing the cradle in a tilted or discharging position. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken through the cradle on the line 77 in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 88 in Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a sectional View taken through the line 9-9 in Fig. 1.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The bed 15 of the improved machine is preferably of rectangular shape, and it is surrounded by an upstanding flange 16. The forward portion of the bed is supported on convergent bars 17 which are joined together and curved to form a goose neck 18 with which is hingedly connected a vertical spindle or king bolt 19 that swivels in the axle 20 of the front truck which in addition to said axle includes the front wheels 21, the tongue 22 and the hounds 23. By this con struction the axle is free to rock about the axis of the hinge pin 24 on which the king bolt is supported and is also free to swing about the axis of said king bolt, as will be readily understood, thereby enabling the front truck to adapt itself to rough and uneven ground.

The rear part of the bed is supported on rearwardly extending bars 25, 26, the latter of which has a keeper 27 for the passage of the rear axle 28 which is pivotally connected with the bar 25, said rear axle having" transporting wheels 29. The axle, it will be seen, is free to swing about the axis of the pivot member whereby it is connected with the bar 25, thereby greatly facilitating turning and steering, the swinging movement of the axle being controlled by means of a lever 30 mounted in suitable proximity to the drivers seat 31 near the front end of the bed, said lever being provided with a stop member 32 adapted to engage a rack segment 33 for the purpose of securing said lever and related parts in adjusted position, said lever being connected by a rod 34 with the axle 28 near the free end of the latter. It is obvious that the driver by means of the controlling lever 30 may regulate and control the rear axle for the purpose in ward end thereof is an arm 38 having at its rear end a retaining hook 39 which extends in the direction of the bed of the machine, said retaining arm and hook being supported in an inclined position by means of a brace 40 with which the arm is adjustably connected by means of a bolt 41 engage ing one of a plurality of apertures 42 in the brace.

C is a movable corn guide which'consists of a rod having a straight arm 43 and a curved arm 44 which are joined together in approximate V-fashion, said arms being provided with terminal eyes 45 engaging eye bolts 46 on the flange of the bed with which the said movable corn guide will thus be hingedly connected. The said movable corn guide is of suchwidth that the straight arm thereof, 43, which extends obliquely rearwardly and outwardly with respect to the flange withwhich it is connected will normally rest against and be supported by the brace 40. The curved arm 44 will thus be presented reversely with respect to the hook 39 of the stationary arm 38, and it will be noted that the said curved arm 44 combines with a portion of the straight arm 43 to form ahook 47. It will further be noted that the retaining hook 39, together with the curved arm 44 which is positioned below said hook, will be adapted to encircle a stand of corn stalks which will thus be supported in readiness for cutting by the knife 36 as the machine advances. In the operation of this part of the invention, as the machine advances against a stand of corn, the latter, passing between the outer flange of the bed of the machine and the guide arm 37, will gradually displace the movable guide C in an inward direction until the corn stalks are engaged by the retaining hook 39 at which point the stalks will clear the hook 47 at the intersection of the arms 43, 44 of the movable guide, thus permitting the latter to drop by gravity to its normal or initial position. The stalks are now held between the hook 39 and the curved arm 44 while being severed by the knife 36 as the machine advances. Said advancing movement of the machine also causes the hook 39 to throw I the stalks obliquely in a forward direction across the'bed of the machine, the butts bemg momentarily supported on the curved arm 44 from which, however, owing to the inclined position of said arm, the said butts will presently gravitate downwardly onto the bed or platform of the machine so as to present no obstruction to an incoming standof corn.

Extending transversely across the bed near the rear end of the latter are cross bars or flange members 48 between which is pivotally supported a yoke 49, the free end of which extends nearly to the side flange of the bed adjacent to which the cutter is located, said free end of the yoke'having an upturned nose 50. The pivot members 51 of the yoke which are supported for oscillation in the cross bars 48 are providedwith terminal levers 52 which are connected with uprights 53 rising from the bed by means of springs 54, sufficiently powerful to throw the yoke 49 normally in an upward direction and also to assist in lifting the weight of the cradle which is partly supported on said bell crank, one arm of which constitutes a pedal 57 toenable said latch to be released at will. The engaging portion of the latch consists of a hook 58 formed on the upwardly extending arm of the bell crank and having a return bend 59 which constitutes.

a guide to be engaged by theyoke when the latter is moved downwardly between the cross bars. I I

The cradle D consists of a base plate 60 which is hingedly connected with'the upstanding flange 16 of the bed at the side opposite to that carrying thecutting apparatus, said base plate being supported 'between-the cross bars 48 so that the free end thereof may rest on the upturned nose of the yoke 49. Said base plate supports adjacent to the ends thereof pairs of curved arms 61 and 62. The arms 61, which are supported adjacent to the hingedly. supported end of the base plate, may be designated as the butt arms, because they are designed to receive the butt ends of thecorn stalks; the arms 62 which are supported adjacent to'the free end of the base plate may be designated as the tying arms. Pivotally supported between the rear ends of the butt arms is a compression lever 63, said lever beinga-dapted to be supported in an upright position in the bight of a loop 64 which connects the upper rearward ends of the butt arms 61. One of the tying arms 62 is provided with eyes 65 through which a tying cord or wire may be guided. The

other butt arm62 preferably the outermost one, is provided with ratchet teeth 66 that project into without entirely obstructing the space between the said tying arms. Braces 67 connect the innermost butt arm 61 with the base plate 60; said base plate is also connected with the bed of the machine by a flexible element, such as a chain 68, whereby the tilting movement of said base plate is limited.

Pivotally supported at the rearward end of the bed of the machine near that side which carries the cutting apparatus is an upwardly extending arm 69 carrying near' its upper end a lever L having a rearwardly extending short arm 70 and a forwardly extending long arm 71 constituting a handle whereby it may be manipulated. Fulcrumed on the arm 69 at an intermediate point between the lever L and the lower extremity of said arm is a lever M having a forwardly extending arcuate compression arm 72 and a rearwardly extending short arm 7 3, the latter being connected with the short arm 70 of the lever L by a link 7 4: so that the compression lever may be actuated by manipulating the said lever L. The compression arm 72 is adapted to engage between the tying arms 62 of the cradle when the latter is in its normal receiving position, and the long arm 71 of the hand lever L is also adapted to engage between said tying arms for locking engagement with one of the ratchet teeth 66. It will be seen that by manipulating the lever L the auxiliary lever M may be actuated to throw the compression arm 72 upwardly with respect to the arm 69; the latter may then be tilted in a rearward direction until a projection on the arm 7 3 strikes a projection 7 5 that extends laterally from the rearwardly extending bar 25 and which will serve to support the compression device in inactive position with respect to the cradle. A retracting spring 76 is provided which serves to retract the link 74 downwardly, thereby exerting a downward tension on the short lever arms 70, 7 3 and a corresponding upward movement of the arms 71, 72.

To place the cradle in load receiving position the yoke 49 is first lowered against the action of the springs 54 until one limb of the yoke is engaged by the latch member 56; the free end of the base plate of the cradle is then supported on the upturned nose of the yoke, thus supporting the cradle in a slightly tilted position, the tying arms being slightly elevated above the butt arms. An operator may be stationed on the bed or platform of the machine in front of the cradle relatively near the butt arms of the latter. When a machine is in operation and the corn stalks are severed by the mechanism provided for the purpose, the said stalks will fall diagonally across the bed of the machine with their tops extending forwardly. The operator may then readily pick them up by arm loads and turning them half way around deposit the stalks in the cradle with the butts positioned evenly within the butt arms. When a suflicient quantity has been accumulated to form a shock, the compression lever 63 may be actuated to compress the butt ends of the stalks, said lever being secured by engagement with the ratchet teeth 7 7 on the outermost butt arm 61. The lever L is now pulled forward, thereby tilting the arm 69 forwardly and positioning the curved compression arm 72 above that portion of the shock which is confined in the tying arms 62. The handle end 71 of the lever L is now depressed, thereby actuating the compression arm 7 2 which enters between the tying arms 62, compressing the shock to the desired extent, after which the handle arm 71 is placed in engagement with one of the ratchets 66, thus securing the shock or bundle while it is being tied, a cord or wire for that purpose having been previously adjusted in the eyes 65. The handle arm 71 is now released, the compression arm 72 is lifted, and the lever L, together with the supporting arm 69, thrown back to its resting position on the projection 75, the retracting movement being assisted by the spring 7 6. The operator now releases the latch 56, after which the yoke 49 may be tilted by manipulating the extension handle 55 of one of the levers 52, the tilting motion being assisted by the springs 54:- The compression lever 63 may be released previous to tilting the cradle, or it may be utilized to check the dropping movement of the shock, which latter will be deposited on the ground at the side of the machine. The cradle whose outward movement is limited by the chain 68 may now be thrown back on the upturned nose of the yoke 50, which latter is likewise restored to its initial position.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that 1 have provided a corn cutting machine or harvester which is simple in construction and which may be successfully utilized for cutting corn, sorghum, cane and the like. The shocks or bundles may be deposited close together in windrows, which latter may be spaced a considerable distance apart, thus permitting the intervening land to be tilled or planted with small grain. The machine may also be efliciently utilized for cutting green corn for feeding purposes in a much quicker and more satisfactory manner than by cutting such corn with the ordinary corn knife and hauling it on a wagon.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a corn harvester, a wheel supported bed having cross bars, a spring actuated the yoke and adapted to be supported onthe latter. v

2. In a corn harvester, a bed having cross bars, a yoke mounted pivotally between said cross bars, said yoke being spring-actuated in an upward direction and having an up turned nose, latch means-to retain the yoke against upward movement, and a cradle supported hingedly adjacent to the pivoted end of the yoke and including a' base plate "adapted to be supported on the upturned nose of the yoke.

In a corn harvester, a bed having cross bars, a yoke having pivot members supported .for oscillation in the cross bars, said yoke having an upturned nose, arms con,-

nected with the pivot members, and retract ing springs connected with the arms to move the yoke in an upward direction, one ofsaid arms being extended to form a hand lever, a latch member to retain the yoke against the tension of the springs, and a cradle supported hingedly adjacent to the pivoted end of the yoke, said cradle includ ing a base plate adapted to rest onthe upturned nose of the yoke.

4. In a corn harvester, a bed, a pivotally supported yoke, springs for actuating said Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner Washington, 116. V v

tiara yoke in an upward direction, latch means'to retain the yoke against the action of the springs, and a cradle supported 'hingedly adjacent to the pivoted end of the yoke and including a base plate adapted to rest on the free end of the yoke, said base plate having pairs of butt arms and pairs of tying nected with the butt arms, an arm pivotally' connected with the bed, levers fulcrume'd on said arm, one of said levers having a long arm constituting a handle and the other leverhaving -'a long 'arm constituting an arcuate' compression member, and each of said levers being provided with a short arm, a link connecting said short arms together,

and a retracting spring connected with the lower end of said link.

In testimony whereof ,I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: V O. T. MYERS, I F. A. ,SHUTE.

ENOGH s. BROWN,

of Patent; 

